By Odita Sunday
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called for an urgent overhaul of Nigeria’s passport issuance system following allegations that Abuja-based realtor, Rebecca Godwin-Isaac, obtained a second passport while an earlier one was reportedly in the custody of the Federal High Court.
HURIWA said the controversy had exposed what it described as troubling gaps in the country’s immigration and identity-management systems and called for an independent investigation into how the alleged second passport was issued.
In a statement issued on Sunday, 13th September 2026, and signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, the rights group said the integrity of the Nigerian passport was a matter of national security and should not be treated as an ordinary administrative issue.
According to HURIWA, lawyers handling the matter allege that Godwin-Isaac reported an earlier passport, B00485650, missing or stolen and later obtained another passport, B51450551.
The lawyers also reportedly questioned the circumstances under which the second passport was processed through what they described as a “non-appearance/no-show” procedure, particularly if the earlier document was still in court custody.
HURIWA said the allegations should be independently investigated to determine what happened, including the identity verification process, biometric records, application trail and the officers who approved the disputed document.
The group’s concerns come against the backdrop of warnings by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, that foreigners may be using Nigerian passports to commit crimes abroad.
HURIWA recalled that the minister had acknowledged concerns over the use of Nigerian passports by non-Nigerians and disclosed plans to strengthen citizenship verification before passports are issued.
The rights group said that warning made the latest controversy more serious, arguing that any weakness in the passport system could have consequences beyond individual cases and affect Nigeria’s security and international reputation.
HURIWA questioned whether the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has a centralised system capable of immediately identifying every valid passport issued to an applicant and flagging documents reported missing, cancelled, surrendered or held by courts.
The association also questioned how the immigration system interfaces with national identity records managed by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), particularly in verifying citizenship before the issuance of Nigerian international passports.
It called for a comprehensive audit of the disputed passport case and other similar cases, covering identity verification, biometric records, application histories, approving officers and the circumstances surrounding the issuance of replacement passports.
HURIWA further demanded appropriate disciplinary or criminal action against any immigration officer found to have violated established procedures, where evidence of wrongdoing is established.
The group said any investigation should go beyond the applicant involved and determine whether officials facilitated or enabled any irregularity.
HURIWA also recalled that lawyers representing the complainant family had given the Comptroller-General of the NIS 30 days to respond to their complaint and threatened legal action if the agency failed to act.
The association urged the NIS to respond promptly and transparently, warning against allowing the matter to become another unresolved institutional complaint.
It also called on Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to make the outcome of any investigation public and disclose measures being taken to prevent similar incidents.
HURIWA said Nigeria could not reasonably expect other countries to protect the credibility of Nigerian citizens and their travel documents while loopholes allegedly exist within the system for the acquisition of Nigerian passports by non-Nigerians.
The group therefore urged the Federal Government to establish a centralised passport-verification system linked to reliable citizenship records, biometric databases, court orders and records of cancelled, lost or surrendered passports.
It also called for tighter monitoring of the replacement passport process to prevent reports of lost or stolen passports from being abused as a means of obtaining fresh documents through fraudulent processes.
HURIWA urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to demand a comprehensive report from the Interior Ministry and the NIS on the state of passport integrity in Nigeria and set clear timelines for implementing stronger citizenship-document verification across the 774 local government areas.
The association warned that failure to address the alleged weaknesses could undermine confidence in the Nigerian passport and expose the country to further international embarrassment.
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